Stapling apparatus



FIG?

Oct. 10, 1961 E. A. DICKMANN 3,

STAPLING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 15. 1958 5 Sheets-Sheet i ll {f1 Mill Oct. 10, 1961 E. A. DICKMANN STAPLING APPARATUS 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 15, 1958 1961 v E. A. DICKMANN 3,003,151

STAPLING APPARATUS FIGS.

nited States This invention relates to stapling apparatus, and more particularly to apparatus for stapling together the ends of the drawstring of a drawstring bag. The term drawstring is intended to cover draw cords and draw tapes.

It will be understood that a type of drawstring bag now in widespread use comprises a rectangular blank of bag material (such as. open-mesh fabric) which is folded in half, the folded blank being seamed along the side opposite the fold and along one end. The other end is open, forrning the bag mouth. A drawstring (a draw cord or a draw tape) is woven into the bag material extending around the bag adjacent the mouth of the bag, a portion of the drawstring extending transversely of one wall of the bag and another portion of the drawstring extending transversely of the other wall of the bag. In the case of a draw tape, the tape may be either flat or longitudinally folded. The ends of the two portions of the drawstring project from the bag at the side of the bag opposite the fold of the bag blank, and these ends are fastened together by a staple. The stapling operation is carried out by means of a stapling apparatus, the operator picking up the bag, taking the ends of the drawstring and placing them on the clincher of the stapling apparatus, and then operating the apparatus to clinch a staple around the ends.

A problem attendant upon the stapling of the ends of the drawstring is to insure that the staple is applied to the ends in such position relative to the drawstring as to resist bending open of the staple under forces such as come on the staple when the two portions of the drawstring are pulled in opposite directions. Considering two cords, for example, positioned side-by-side, it will be ob served that if a staple is clinched around the cords with the ends of the staple alongside one of the cords generally in the plane of the two cords, the staple has a minimum of resistance to being bent open by pull on the cords in opposite direction. On the other hand, if the staple is clinched around the cords with the ends of the staple generally in a plane at right angles to the plane of the cords, the staple has a maximum resistance to being bent open by pull on the cords in opposite directions.

The position of the staple relative to the drawstring is dependent upon the position of the end portions of the drawstring relative to the driver of the stapling apparatus at the time of operation of the driver. The principal object of this invention is the provision of a construction for the stapling apparatus which insures that the operator places the end portions of the drawstring in the apparatus in the proper position relative to the driver of the apparatus for clinching of the staple around the end portions of the drawstring in position for maximum resistance to pull, and which precludes operation of the apparatus unless and until the end portions of the drawstring are so placed. In general, the invention involves the provision of a clincher on the stapling apparatus having a portion positioned alongside the path of the driver of the stapling apparatus, this portion having a notch therein extending transversely with respect to the path of the driver, the notch being shaped to receive the drawstring end portions one on top of the other, the bottom of the notch being so located that when the drawstring end portions are placed in the notch, they are in position for being straddled by a staple being driven by the driver, the clincher having a portion directly in the path of the driver and located on the ice side of the notch away from the driver for engagement by a staple being driven by the driver to efiect clinching of the staple around the end portions of a drawstring received in said notch, and means projecting above the bottom of the notch and engageable by the bottom one of the end portions of a drawstring as pressed down into the notch for initiating the operation of means for operating the driver. Other objects and features will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the constructions hereinafter described, the scope of the invention being indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings, in which several of various possible embodiments of the invention are illustrated,

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a stapling apparatus for draw cord bags in which the invention is incorporated;

FIG. 2 is a right side elevation of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 2 showing the clincher which is provided on the stapling apparatus in accordance with this invention;

FIG. 4 is a view in elevation of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 illustrating a moved position of parts;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 4 showing a modification for stapling draw tape bags;

FIG. 7 is a perspective of a draw cord bag as it may appear prior to stapling the end portions of the draw cord;

FIG. 8 is a fragment of FIG. 7 showing the draw cord end portions stapled together; and,

FIG. 9 is a greatly enlarged cross section taken on line 9-9 of FIG. 8.

Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

Referring first to FIG. 7 of the drawings, there is indicated at 1 a bag made from a rectangular blank of bag material folded in half on fold line 3, the folded blank being seamed by stitching along the side opposite the told as indicated at 5 and along one end as indicated :at 7. A draw cord 9 is shown as woven into the bag material extending around the bag adjacent the mouth of the bag, thus having one leg 11 extending transversely of one wall of the bag and another leg 13 extending transversely of the other wall. End portions 15 and 17 of the cord legs project from the bag at side 5 (at the upper right corner of the bag as viewed in FIG. 7), and it is these end portions which are to be stapled together by means of a stapling apparatus in which this invention is incorporated. FIG. 8 shows the upper right corner of the bag as it appears after the staple 19 has been applied. FIG. 9 shows the desired position of the staple for maximum resistance against being bent open by pull on the cord legs in opposite directions. As appears in FIG. 9, the cord leg ends lie sideby-side, and the staple 19 is clinched around the leg ends with the ends 21 of the staple generally in a plane A--A at right angles to the plane 13-3 of the cord leg ends.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings, there is indicated at 23 a table model stapling apparatus in which this invention is incorporated for stapling together the end portions 15 and 17 of the legs ll and 13 of cord 9 with the staple 19 positioned as shown in FIG. 9. The apparatus includes a clincher designated in its entirety by reference numeral 25 against which the staple 19 is driven by the driver 27 (see FIG. 5) of the stapling apparatus, operation of the apparatus being under control of a solenoid 29 (see FIG. 1). The stapling apparatus, apart from the clincher and the control for the solenoid, is a known type of apparatus, the invention involving revisions in the clincher and the control. In general, the stapling apparatus comprises a base 31 on which is mounted an electric motor 33. Motor 33 is continuously operated to drive the driving member of a single-revolution clutch via a belt and pulley drive 37. The driven member of the clutch is connected to drive a camshaft 39. The operation of the clutch is under control of the solenoid 29. When the solenoid is energized, the clutch is engaged to drive the driven member of the clutch and camshaft 39 through a single revolution for effecting a stapling cycle. Mechanism actuated by the solenoid for shifting the clutch is generally indicated at 41. Reference may be made to my US. Patent 2,830,295 for further details of this mechanism.

The stapling apparatus further comprises conventional wire feeding, cutting, forming and driving mechanism indicated at 43 (see FIG. 2). Wire W is supplied to this mechanism from a spool 45 and cut into staple lengths, each such length being formed to Ushape, and being driven against the clincher 25. In general, this mechanism includes a slide 47 operated by a link '49 which is pivoted at 51 on a cam 53 on camshaft 39. Slide 47 actuates a bender bar 54 and cutter 55 for cutting off I a staple length of the wire and bending the staple length to U-shape around a retractable anvil 57. It also actuates the driver 27 for driving the staple against the clincher 25.

In accordance with this invention, the clincher is of special construction. As shown best in FIGS. 3-5, it comprises a block 59 having a flange 61 secured as indicated at 63 by a nut and bolt between two bracket members 65 and 67 projecting from the stapling apparatus. The flange 61 is positioned alongside the path of the driver 27. The block has a notch 69 at the top thereof extending downward and transversely with respect to the path of the driver 27 (this path being inclined downward toward the front of the apparatus as appears in FIG. 2). The notch 69 is generally of V- shape, and is so dimensioned in relation to the diameter of the draw cord 9 as to be adapted to receive the draw cord end portions 15 and 17 one on top of the other, preventing presentation of the draw cord end portions to the staple 19 in side-by-side horizontal position such as would result in clinching of the staple in improper position around the draw cord end portions. The depth of the notch 69 is such that, with the draw cord end portions 15 and 17 at the bottom of the notch, they are positioned for being straddled by a staple 19 being driven by the driver 27. The block 61 is formed with a recess 71 receiving a hardened anvil 73 which is located directly in the path of the driver 27 (i.e., in the path of a staple 19 being driven by the driver) and on the side of the notch 69 away from the driver for engagement by the staple being driven by the driver to effect clinching of the staple around the draw cord end portions received in the notch. For this purpose, the anvil 73 has a recess '75 adjacent one end to accomplish turning in of the staple ends. The anvil is secured in recess 71 by a screw 77, and is shown as having a second recess 75a similar to recess 75 adjacent its other end, whereby it may be reversed for utilizing recess 75a upon wear at recess 75.

The block 59 is formed with a hole 78 extending down completely therethrough from the bottom of the notch 69. A control switch 79 is mounted below the block on a bracket 81 secured to the stapling apparatus. This switch 79 is a normally open switch, having the usual operating button 83 projecting upward from the case of the switch, and containing the usual spring means which biases the button 83 upward to a raised switch-open position. The button is aligned with the vertical hole 78, and a rod 85 is provided slidable in the hole and having a bell 87 at its lower end bearing on the button. The length of the rod 35 is such that when the button 33 is raised, the upper end of the rod projects up above the bottom of the notch 69. Switch 79 is wired to solenoid 29 as indicated at 89, the arrangement being such that when the switch is closed, the solenoid is energized to initiate a stapling cycle. A wing plate 91 is shown as 4 attached to block 59 by screws 93, this plate extending on the other side of the path of the driver 27 from flange 61. This plate has a notch 93 corresponding to notch 69.

Operation is as follows:

The operator takes up a bag and, holding the end portions 15 and 17 of the draw cord 9 together and stretched taut between the thumb and forefinger of each hand, jams the end portions down in the notch 69. In view of the narrow V-shape of the notch, the end portions are automatically positioned one on top of the other (see FIG. 5 As they approach the bottom of the notch, the bottom one of the two draw cord end portions engages the upper end of the rod 85, and as the movement of the draw cord end portions is completed down to the bottom of the notch, the rod is moved down (against the bias of the spring in switch 79) to close the switch 79. This energizes the solenoid 29 and initiates a stapling cycle in which a length of wire W corraponding to that required to form one staple 19 is fed forward, cut off, and bent around anvil to U-shape with the open side of the U forward, after which the driver 27 drives the staple forward. As the staple 19 comes forward, it straddles the draw cord end portions 15 and 17, its ends engage the anvil 7 3 of the clincher 25, and then the staple 19 is clinched around the draw cord end portions in the proper position such as shown in FIG. 9 with the staple ends 21 generally in a plane at right angles to the plane of the draw cord end portions.

It will be observed that the driving of the staple 19 cannot occur until the draw cord end portions 15 and 17 are pressed all the way down in the notch 69. Thus, the driving of the staple cannot occur unless and until the draw cord end portions are properly positioned relative to the driver 27 for clinching of the staple in proper position around the draw cord end portions.

FIG. 6 illustrates a modification of the clincher block 25 for stapling the end portions of a draw tape, as distinguished from a draw cord. This is essentially the same as the block shown in FIGS. 3-5, except that the notch, designated 95 in FIG. 6 to differentiate from FIGS. 3-5, instead of being of V-shape, has a flat bottom 97 and straight sides 99 perpendicular to the bottom with a width slightly greater than the width of the draw tape, such as indicated in dotted lines at T in FIG. 6. The

notch 95 thus shaped to receive the end portions of the draw tape flatwise one on top of the other.

In view of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of the invention are achieved and other advantageous results attained.

As various changes could be made in the above con structions without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. In a stapler for clinching a staple around end portions of a drawstring of a drawstring bag; said drawstring being constituted by a drawcord, a clincher having a V-shape notch extending downward from the top thereof for receiving said drawstring end portions, the width of said notch corresponding closely to the Width of each drawstring end portion so as to compel placement of the drawstring end portions in the notch one on top of the other, said clincher including an anvil at one side of the notch, a driver for driving a staple against the anvil, said driver having a forward end portion engageable with a staple for driving it toward and against the anvil on movement of the driver from a retracted position wherein its forward end portion is on the other side of the notch, said driver being movable in a straight-line path transversely across the notch for driving a staple to straddle said drawstring end portions, the bottom of the notch being below the lower leg of a staple being driven by the driver, the anvil having a recess opposed to said forward end portion of the driver for turning in the legs of a staple being driven by the driver,

and means for controlling the operation of the driver ineluding a member offset from the path of the driver and having a portion thereof normally projecting above the bottom of the notch for engagement by the bottom one of the end portions of a drawstring as pressed down into the notch, said member comprising a rod slidable in a hole in the cylincher oiiset from the path of the driver in the plane of the notch, said member being movable to a depressed position by said drawstring end portions as they are pressed down into the notch for initiating the operation of the driver, said drawstring end portions then being positioned for being straddled by a staple being driven by the driver.

2. In a stapler for clinching a staple around end portions of a drawstring of a drawstring bag, said drawstring being constituted by a drawtap'e, a clincher having a notch extending downward from the top thereof for receiving said drawstring end portions, said notch having a flat bottom and straight sides substantially perpendicular to the bottom to receive the end portions of a drawtape bag one on top of the other, the width of said notch corresponding closely to the width of said drawtape, said clincher including an anvil at one side of the notch, a driver for driving a staple against the anvil, said driver having a forward end portion engageable with a staple for driving it toward and against the anvil on movement of the driver from a retracted position wherein its forward end portion is on the other side of the notch, said driver being movable in a straight-line path transversely across the notch for driving a staple to straddle said drawstring end portions, the bottom of the notch being below the lower leg of a staple being driven by the driver, the anvil having a recess opposed to said forward end portion of the driver for turning in the legs of a staple being driven by the driver, and means for controlling the operation of the driver including a member offset from the path of the driver and having a portion thereof normally projecting above the bottom of the notch for engagement by the bottom of one of the end portions of a drawstring as pressed down into the notch, said member comprising a rod slidable in a hole in the clincher offset from the path of the driver in a plane between the sides of the notch, said member being movable to a depressed position by said drawstring end portions as they are pressed down into the notch for initiating the operation of the driver, said drawstring end portions then being positioned for being straddled by a staple being driven by the driver.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,258,275 Totzke Mar. 5, 1918 1,451,717 Sommer Apr. 17, 1923 1,501,366 Peterson July 15, 1924 2,063,917 Flood Dec. 15, 1936 2,264,776 Spiller Dec. 2, 1941 2,554,691 Zeruneith May 29, 1951 2,574,811 Blurnensaadt Nov. 13, 1951 2,626,393 Flood Ian. 27, 1953 2,650,360 Nardone Sept. 1, 1953 2,691,777 Casper Oct. 19, 1954 2,741,765 Bruggman Apr. 17, 1956 

